Today, I’m welcoming Marjorie Mallon onto my blog to chat writing and to find out a little more about the author of dark and scary stories…

1 How do you write? Is everything plotted, planned to perfection? Do you ever change tack as you go along or always stick to a pre-made plan?

I don’t tend to plot much at all. Instead, I rely on my crazy imagination to create and form the story. The only problem with this approach is a fair amount of editing is required.

But it’s exciting though! I love allowing my characters to tell the story for me.

2 Do you have a writing ritual? Meditation, certain cup for your tea, writing trousers?

Not really, but, I sometimes get ideas when I’m out walking. For instance, on my usual route to work I’ll notice an unusual passersby with a striking aspect to their personality, or a distinctive dress sense that catches my eye. Also, I might wake up with a Eureka moment, when I know instinctively what to write. When that happens it is very exciting!

3 Aside from writing, what makes you tick? Tell us 5 things about yourself we probably don’t know.

I’m fascinated by the Zodiac and Chinese Zodiac, crystals, myths and magic.

I love trees, (I believe they have a wonderful magical energy,) and my favourite flower is an orchid. I write about various topics: crystals, magic, the wonder of trees and nature, the paranormal, on our collaborative blog The Sisters of The Fey: To find out more follow the link: https://sistersofthefey.com/

I have qualifications in Reflexology/Aromatherapy but now devote all my spare time to blogging and writing. But, alternative therapies continue to intrigue me – I collect crystals and write stories infused with crystal magic.

My father is a Scotsman with a heart that longs to travel and my mother is a Malaysian lady who’s grown to love Scotland! Due to my mixed heritage I grew up with a very varied diet and open cultural outlook.

I like chilled out activities such as tai chi and yoga but recently I’ve been going to the gym to try to tone up!

Fascinating insights, thanks so much for sharing.

4 If you were stranded on a desert island with shelter, food and water, what 5 items would you want with you?

Lots of crystals

My favourite lipstick

Jewellery, I can’t be without my special pieces, especially my earrings and crystal bracelets.

Pen and paper, notebooks, or means to write or doodle.

A fire to keep me warm – I hate to be cold and a book to read, see no. 5 below!

5 On said island, what 5 books would you take and why?

My favourite fantasy author: Jay Kristoff, The Nevernight Chronicles. Crime: Any of Clare Macintosh’s novels, Something heart-warming: The Italian Chapel by Philip Paris. This one I loved: The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak. I’d have to bring my own debut book. I’ve only written one – The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone and it is very dear to me!

Of course you should take your own book! Great choices!

6 Off the island now, which famous person would you like to have dinner with?

Oh, probably a musician – in spirit or alive… so David Bowie, Prince, Jon Bon Jovi, or Joe Bonamassa. ­

7 Your current writing projects?

I’m currently working on Book Two in my YA fantasy/paranormal series: The Curse of Time Book 2 Golden Healer. I hope to be published in several anthologies this year: Ghostly Writes 2019 (Plaisted Publishing House,) and also Nightmareland (a horror anthology,) via best-selling author Dan Alatorre.

8 Share with us your published work and links to where we can find you…

Today I’m at the Literature & Book Fayre at Lazzmatazz 2019 in Llandovery, Wales! If you’re in the area, it would be lovely to meet you. I’m signing books today, and reading at 1.30pm, but there are a host of other authors there, as well as a craft fayre.

If you can’t make it, why not download Destiny of Angels today and enjoy a magical read this weekend. Here’s an extract for your enjoyment…

With the circle around her, Lilith by her side and the Angels protecting her, Angel stood at the portal to the Path once more, displaying her conscious mind, asking for healing for this is what she sought. The air in the circle thickened around her, warm and syrupy and tasting of tin. The power increased and she saw in the darkness beyond the altar the beginning of everything, as out of the nothing came light, energy, earth, water, air and fire and from this chaotic mix, the Earth was formed and, like a wheel turning, momentum increased and from the Earth, creatures grew and died and new ones took their place and Angel saw it and knew this physical life but, she’d noticed something. Before it all began, there’d been something else. She’d felt it, seen it, no, she just knew it had existed, a tiny glimpse, a faint whisper, a mere pinprick of the Before.

The Hebrew letter hung in the air and she cried out, “Samekh!”

Angel floated through the Universe as flame and dust spiralled and spun and all the planets and stars began to form and settle into their orbit against the blue velvet darkness.

She climbed upon a silver white stallion, its wild mane and tail streaming as they rode across the sky. They sped through reeds and bulrushes, splashing mud on Angel’s feet and they galloped through showers of meteors like an arrow, flying with purpose across the sky. As she gripped the warm, strong body of the horse between her thighs, the stars and constellations showed themselves to Angel and she felt pure emotion in her heart, emotion without thought, the Force before the Form, the root substance of manifestation, that which she’d been seeking.

Angel rode on over the Welsh mountains and through the valleys, sprinkling moon dust on each pagan circle and magical gathering she saw, as the people met and embraced their Nature. Upon the horse there was no time so back she rode to the Celtic villages and on she galloped to the Dwellers in the Mountains, after The Flood.

She pulled up the mighty stallion before a sign she did not recognize and was greeted at the Temple by the Angel Raphael, the healer, who bid her enter.

Golden light bounced off the walls as she alighted from her steed and, when she next laid eyes on him, he was a centaur. Tall and proud, the handsome blond beast bowed to Angel and she took the brown zircon from her throat and bound it to an arrow. The Arrow passed to the Centaur and with his bow he let it fly and Angel knew it was the Arrow for the Swiftness of Willed Force.

Angel stood in the sphere of power, her golden amber shift to her toes and a simple circlet of pink flowers upon her head. With Lilith beside her she watched the Tree of Life, the witches Qabalah, hanging in the air before her.

Shapes began to form within the Tree, triangles, diamonds and squares, each tipped by a Sephirah and linked by a numbered pathway. Angel saw the spheres of Netzach, Hod and Tiphareth gleaming from the Tree and she knew this to be the Magical Triangle and Chesod, Geburah and Tiphareth and she knew this to be the Ethical triangle. Out of these shapes, one began to glow and resonate the brightest of all, in the centre of the Tree, linking the pathways together, golden and majestic beamed Tiphareth and Angel knew this to be her destination.

Thoth, the Dweller on the Threshold appeared as the Tree began to fade and she opened her mind for his scrutiny. Convinced of her intent, the lunar disk and crescent upon his head began to glow and he welcomed her onto the Path as the Doorkeeper, reassuring her of his duty to protect her.

Angel stepped alone onto the silver thread before her, her sandals tracing pathways that she recognized. First, a pathway overhung with oak, beech and ash, a blue black world where she felt the sorrowing Isis and understood the pain of death but also the bliss and hope of resurrection. She walked on and shed the weighty blue of sorrow and replaced it with a world of violet and crystal where Levannah ruled. She opened her Treasurehouse of Visions for Angel to behold and Angel understood the link between the earth and the moon, the inspiration and the manifestation, the chaos and the calm. On she walked through a landscape of rushes and reeds, the air around her pulsing dark vivid blue and centaurs galloping beside her, laughing as the arrows they shot exploded into green and yellow sparks above her head. Angel understood the centaurs firing their Arrows of Swiftness Willed Force and within the colours she could see the conscious and subconscious, the Force of life and the original spark that began it.

The Angel Raphael, cloaked in green, welcomed her as she climbed the golden steps to the Temple and she entered through the portico to a majestic building lined with further pillars, where the breeze sang in harmonies within. Angel walked amongst the columns, studying the pictures and symbols engraved upon them while the fragrance of frankincense, cinnamon and Egyptian Kyphi filled her head. She saw plants and herbs; gorse, laurel, rosemary and twisting vines and a lion and a phoenix. On another pillar she saw the rosy cross while on another, cubes and hexagrams, grouped together in sixes.

At the end of the Temple was a square table covered with a golden cloth upon which were six vibrant sunflowers in a vase and an incense burner. The wondrous smells expelled filled her senses and opened her mind. Behind the table, backed by a vast stained glass window was a high backed wooden chair. The light shone through the glass, bouncing warm honey around the Temple.

A single flash of intense white light illuminated Angel and she saw the journey she had travelled so far. Ra, the Sun God, sat upon the throne, a man with the solar disk upon his head surrounded by the sacred asp. He, Ra, The Creator, Great Father, god of magic, prosperity, destiny and truth looked down upon his child and smiled upon her and with his golden smile, the Temple shone like a beacon, the central point of existence, the point of transmutation between the planes of Force and Form. The light from Ra, the intense pure yellow light, entered Angel’s head, not to see with by her physical eye but to illuminate the body of images she had stored from her mystical experiences and she learned from them. She saw in the face of Ra, the qualities of earned success, material success, victory and joy and she understood that sacrifice brought forth new life. As her mind opened up to the possibilities on this plane, she fell to her knees with the enormity of the knowledge and, in a blinding white flash, the Temple vanished and she was on her knees within her circle of protection, in the basement of her home once more.

Calling all women in the UK! NEVER ignore your appointments for mammograms and cervical smear tests!

We’re always so busy, spinning more plates than we have hands, feet or limbs for, but we owe it to ourselves to take advantage of free tests, checking on our health.

We go to the dentist and the optitian, but so many women are missing these other important appointments, so let’s support each other, and help EVERY woman attend her test….

I hereby offer to mind any small offspring of women in my area, while their mother’s are attending one of these appointments.

Let’s be honest, neither appointment is pleasant, but the consequences are far, far nastier, and the women who guide us through these appointments are kind and supportive, because they’ve been through it too.

It doesn’t matter how much good food you eat, or how many times you go to the gym, you need to take care of your sexual health and check your breasts regularly, for a long, healthy and happy life.

Not content with my own YouTube channel, Phoenix and the Dragon, you can now find me chatting writing and magic on the brand new ‘The Witch Lit Podcast’ by Witches-Who-Write, with the fabulous Sheena Cundy.

Sheena is from Essex, though we never met when I lived there, but have since become friends, supporting each other with our writing online. Sheena not only writes Witch Lit, but songs for her band, Morrigan’s Path.

In the first episode, we share our writing inspiration and our writing lives, as well as a little of our magical background.

If you’re looking for a relaxing, fun podcast, why not tune in? There’s Behind the Broom Cupboard, where we let you into our world of magic, keeping you up to date with our writing and magical work and Witchanory, readings from our magical work and much, much more!

Sometimes the first few pages aren’t enough so here, for your enjoyment is a little more of Wrath of Angels…

As a full moon filled the night sky, Angel walked down thestone steps to the basement of her house with the basket forher path working on her arm. Once below she lit the wallsconces and the braziers on either side of the altar. Light andwarmth seeped into the stone walls. A single red rose lay on aseven pointed star on the altar surrounded by thyme,feverfew, yarrow and verbena.

She wore an amber shift belted with a cord of olive greenand gold, a green cloak and at her throat hung an emerald. AsThoth greeted her on the astral plane, promising to protecther, she stood upon the Path, a rose in one hand and a lanternin the other. Her heart began to beat fiercely and the rose inher hand vibrated as she walked into a courtyard surroundedby cool, white buildings and seated around the well within satfemale love deities. Freyja sat with Venus, their fair hairglistening in the sun while Rhiannon, her horse tethered toone side, spoke with Ishtar. They laughed together as Angelapproached. The maiden Cerridwen caught Angel’s eye andsmiled at her and as Angel smiled back, she stood nakedbefore the beautiful naked women.

Angel felt no embarrassment. A vibration began in hergroin as if something was awakening in the root of her beingand as the sensation climbed up her body, she felt aroused anduplifted by the beauty of those around her. Each woman cameforward and embraced her and then held a hand as a circlewas formed. Into the middle, Angel lay the rose and thelantern before taking her place in the circle.

The rose sparkled and the lantern began to glow until aglistening golden ball spun hovering in the air before them.The sphere darkened and then stars appeared, some singlyand some in clusters until the ball glistened and shone. Ishtarstepped forward, reaching into the ball and plucking a web oftwinkling stars which, with skilful hands she fashioned into agirdle. Turning to Angel, Ishtar wound the stars around her.Never had Angel felt so complete nor so content as she did insuch lovely company.

The ball spun again and from it flew a white dove whichlanded on the outstretched palm of Venus. She walkedforward and offered the bird to Angel who took it on herfinger. She spoke one word to it as she stroked its milky whitehead. Over and over she spoke the word, the word thatencapsulated love in just two syllables. Aidan. She lifted herhand to the sky and the dove flew away.

The women watched the sphere as colours and imagesflashed across its surface. Forests, mountains, deserts,meadows and plains were a backdrop to every living creaturethat roamed the earth and Rhiannon stepped forward andplucked a lynx from its tree top resting place. She brought herbefore Angel and the lynx lay down. She observed the womenwith her luminescent reflective eyes and when Angel lookedat her, she saw mirrored back, her own perceptions andunderstanding. She knew from then on, to trust her femaleintuition. The lynx stood before Angel, shut it’s eyes andbowed before vanishing.

As the sphere spun again, fields of glowing corn, wheatand barley showed on the surface and the lilting tunes of aflute began to play. As the music grew, accompanied by drumand violin, the women began to walk around the circle whileFreya could wait no longer and took Angel’s hands and theydanced. Angel’s feet reflected the notes her ears heard and shebegan to feel with her whole being. Her body swayed andskipped as all the women joined in, a joyous dance bornefrom the music. There were no thoughts of why or how but acommunal joining within the beauty of the tune. As the musicfaded away, the flute the last to leave, the women, bright eyedand breathless, took their places.

As Cerridwen approached the spinning ball it became hercauldron and from it rose the number seven. She went toAngel, took her hand and Angel understood. She saw theSeven of Wands, appreciating the struggle of one against sixbut saw too the dominance and the forth coming victory ofthe one. She saw the Seven of Swords and understood theOccult Intelligence, the hidden force behind the action, theunqualified force without will. As she saw the seven chalicesof the Seven of Cups, she wondered at the power of creativitywithin the Sephirah Netzach but also understood that with somuch energy and so many possibilities it was difficult toknow which choices are real and which are illusory. She sawthe Seven of Pentacles and the potential of a fruitful harvestand understood the need for action to bring in the abundantcrop before it spoiled. As these thoughts entered and workedin her mind, Angel lifted her hands, as did the others and awaterfall of love and beauty washed over them as the skyfilled with pure white light.

Back in the basement, Angel thanked and bid farewell toher guests as her mind pondered the force and beauty ofNetzach and the form and logic of Hod.

I wrote this post a year ago but didn’t publish it…Reading it now, I can sense my own disappointment and fear…house on the market but no offers, weeks and months ticking by, feeling like my dream will never be part of my reality….So, I focus on all the positive aspects of my life, the things that make me smile and make me happy and guess what? There’s a happy ending.

Every day since 2013 began I’ve tried to remain positive and keep happy whatever life has thrown at me. Some days have tried my patience or rendered me a useless blob as depression clouds my thinking. Other days have been smattered with tiny pockets of happiness, silently crushed by despair in minutes.

This month’s new moon received my full attention and I worked on myself, relaxing, calming and revitalising my tired, sluggish chakras and, once full of energy, sending healing to those in need. The new moon is a time of creativity and new ideas, it opens doors onto paths unthought of previously. So, pinning the happiness down has been the problem and I’ve been knocked off my path and bombarded with difficulties.

But now I’ve stopped trying…to be happy that is. I’ve decided to just be and make the most of the things that make me happy…..dancing with my Tribal Unity sisters…

Dancing is a great way to be happy and, because I have the support and love of such amazing people, I stay happy when I think of them or receive a text.

My children…every time I feel frustrated and restrained from doing what I want to do, I think of the three wonderful human beings I brought into the world who bring joy to my life every day. I may feel my life is in limbo but they continue to grow and blossom into amazing adults. This photo was taken on Mothering Sunday 7 years ago.

Friends… I’ve always struggled to make friends but my dancing friends are always there for me. A message from a friend I’ve not heard from in a while is a wonderful boost to my day.

My man…. a hug from him will always make me happy. This was taken at Dunwich in May last year. I’m so lucky to have such a supportive partner.

My cats…both Tiggy and Ollie pictured here love a good cuddle and a tickle and their contented purring makes me happy too.